The Astral Planes
The order of the realms and the nature of their connectivity differs from culture to culture. This excerpt is from the perspective of the Geron. The Order of Things The cosmos according to the sage redacted is a series of stacked planes, the material planes being the simplest and lowest form of existence, and each layer of plane being an abstraction of the last. In this view, the maelstrom is the furthest abstracted from the material planes, and would be completely incomprehensible chaos and nonsense. The layers of material, and the layered elemental planes together form a celestial sphere, which is suspended in chaos. The theories of redacted are recorded in a complete book called "The Aether", and suppose that the stars themselves are other celestial spheres suspended in the maelstrom. Although the sages redacted2 and redacted3 are written to have disagreed with this theory as the black expanse beyond the night sky is far too calm to be the maelstrom. The Material Planes Undirgard, Halfrheim, Jotunheim, Fanheim, Drekinheim, The adjacent place Undirgard Undirgard is the realm in which mortals are native. It is the lowest realm on the tree of life, without being beneath the roots. it is said that a soul will travel it's way up the tree through its life cycle. The embers stoked from the flames of the light well rise up the tree to settle in a realm, where it is given physical form. Through the cycle of life and death, the embers will rise up the length of the tree. If an ember does not reach a realm by the time it fades, it is said to become a remnant- a fleck of ash. A soul trapped within a realm can also become a remnant, and is a major cause of self-created undead. See Funeral Rights. Fanheim Fanheim is the realm of the Fae, which is said to be within the nook of Yggdrasil, near the base of the tree, and just above Undirgard. It is the realm in which Fae creatures originate, and the realm in which the courts of the seasons exist. The hidden nature of the realm makes it hard for mortals to access, but easy for fae to leave. Jotunheim Jotunheim is the realm of giants. All races of giants originate within this realm. Most notably the Ice giants originate within the arctic glaciers within the plane. Halferheim Halferheim is the realm that marks the median of the tree. It is a temperate realm in in which battles of the gods are fought. The endless plane has seen an eon of battles, from the ice giants, to the dragons, to the demons from Urtherhol. Despite the endless battles, the realm remains an infinite expanse of pleasant meadows and plains. Drekinheim Drekinheim is the realm of dragons, and their place of origin. The realm was said to be created by the ancient dragon Níðhöggr who gave creation to all dragons. Dragons are creatures of the maelstrom, and the realm itself is said to be an expanse of mountains divided by clouds. Great spires rise from the clouds and into the sky, some such spires in nonsensical and unnatural shapes- a physical reflection of the strangeness of the maelstrom. The Adjacent Place: Baske/ The Slip The adjacent place is a result of the creation of the universe. Baske is a an incidental realm that is leftover from the creation of Yggdrasil. The architect redacted created the map in which the sphere was built. The map however was a flat object, and when the spheres were created, the map became folded up between realms. This gap between realms is known as the slip, and is considered to be another half of reality, and a map of the astral realms. It is supposed that Baske was created from the sleeping mind of blank and the celestial sphere was created from the waking mind. Thus, baske is a parallel world of dreams, and the sleeping mind of blank. The Celestial Realms The First Celestial Layer Mordheim, Nilfheim, Vaskrheim, Urtherhol, Alfheim, Helheim Gaia Mordheim Mordheim is the realm of the lost. Souls that are unable to find the afterlife become lost here. The realm is dark and foggy, with aberrant architecture and landscapes. It is also home to souls lost at sea, and those that disappear in the wilderness and are never buried. Mordheim is said to be located in an offshoot branch, just before the great trees canopy. Niflheim Niflheim is the first realm within the canopy of the tree. It is the realm of the dishonorable dead. The realm is entirely comprised of of ice sheets and snowdrifts. Within Niflheim, there is nothing but the wandering souls of murderers, thief's, and traitors. Alfheim Alfheim is the realm of angels and angelic beings. The inner empire pantheon gods, and the farthest sea gods are said to inhabit this realm. It is considered the afterlife for those that do not follow the same ways as the northern shamans. This view differs considerably with those that do not follow shamanism. Helheim Helheim is a realm within the trees canopy. It is the peaceful afterlife of all the dead who did not die in battle, nor died dishonorably. This is the fate of common folk, who were unable to die in battle. The realm is a quiet mausoleum watched over by Hel. It is considered the realm of slumber and peace, and the dead are allowed to drift in their dreams for eternity. Vaskrheim Vaskrhein is the realm of the brave and heroic fallen. Only those that die in battle, or dies with a legend in their wake are allowed into Vaskrhein. Vaskrhein is home to Regginkunnr, the hearth home of Arden. Other celestials such as the Valkyries and the fallen Ashorn inhabit this place. It is the spiritual goal of all Geron Warriors, and many shaman barbarians draw the strength of their ancestors from this place. Vaskrheim is the highest realm within the tree. Urtherhol Urtherhol is the lowest most realm on Yggdrasil. It is considered a celestial realm despite its location on the tree. Urtherhol is described as the ruins of a grand city of stone, corrupted by the tangling roots of the tree. Rivers of lava run beneath the halls. The halls are roamed by demons, who have been sealed away for eternity. The light well, created by Farea, and placed by Olten reside here, and give life to all creatures within Yggdrasil. Gaia/Aiger Gaia is the primordial realm of nature and life. It is described as a forest so deep and thick as to be that of an ocean. The forest is only sometimes interrupted by forest clearings large enough for a town of deceased spirits, or large enough for an entire desert. If one were to reach the canopy of the forest and gaze beyond the roof of leaves, one would be able to see the tree of life towering of the rest of Gaia. To the Geron it is considered the first destination on the journey upwards, and the realm in which souls can first become lost. elf gate guides The Second Celestial layer Muspelheim The realm of burning hot fire and soot. This realm is responsible for the lava fields deep under the Urtherhols. The Third Celestial Layer Svartalfheim: realm of earth. The Fourth Celestial Layer Torhalla: realm of water The Fifth Celestial Layer Vindrgard: Realm of air The Sixth Celestial Layer Empyrean is the highest plane, and is occupied by the element Aether, or true fire, divine fire. It is the shell of the celestial sphere, and no being is able to cross into the realm of Empyrean or risk being destroyed, and as such it prevents travel outside of the celestial sphere. The celestial sphere is accredited to protecting the realms from the maelstrom although some beings have slipped through, however in their weakened state, they are forbidden from leaving. Yggdrasil, The Tree of Life The tree of life is a supernatural structure that binds of the realms together. Rather, it is a metaphysical force that binds the layers together. its branches and root structure hold the realms and layer in place, and thus holding the celestial sphere in place. It also makes it possible for gods and deities to travel the tree to other realms, because of the connective nature of the realm.